


Stop! Hammer time

by Lailuhhh



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, How Do I Tag, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Bucky Barnes, Suspense, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, also probably, and like every other fic, because irondad is my life, becuase FUCK civil war, civil war who, everyones a friend, im still learning, no beta we die like men, peter and bucky are bros and you cant change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22979974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lailuhhh/pseuds/Lailuhhh
Summary: Yet again, someone is trying to use Peter to get to Tony. Will he be able to save Peter or did his lucky finally run out?
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

Something felt- off.

That morning when Peter got up, there was just something that didn’t feel right and he didn’t know how to explain it. His spidey sense wasn’t telling him it which was the weird thing. He just had a gut feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen.

He didn’t tell May as she left for work because he didn’t want her to worry. She merely told him she would probably be back late and he should make sure he got to school on time- though he hid his jumpiness from her, he didn’t think he’d be able to hide it from Ned or MJ at school. So he ultimately decided to skip and take a sick day. He knew May would have his head for it but with how bad of a feeling he was getting, he didn’t want to take the chance of something happening at school where everyone could see. Besides, he could have Karen call the school and pretend to be May to excuse him.

Peter threw on a hoodie and his backpack and left his apartment, venturing not to school but to the Tower. He didn’t know what he was going to do but he didn’t feel like he should stay home. He didn’t know if Tony would be there or not, or anyone for that matter but- he just needed to be out of his house and not in a public place. He didn’t know how to explain what he was feeling. It wasn’t like his spidey sense that usually screamed _danger_ at him from time to time, it was more like an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, like there was _something_ wrong or out to get him even though he had zero reason to think it. He only hoped someone would be at the tower so he could have some sort of peace of mind.

The walk to the tower didn’t take very long; Peter taking long, fast strides, almost running down the streets until he got to the building. He noted the security guard and receptionist raising their brows as he walked in, they’d never seen him that early before. He flashed his badge and went into the elevator, taking a second to actually breathe before asking FRIDAY to take him to the penthouse.

“Mr. Stark _is_ here, right?”

“ _Yes he is, along with a few others. I can say he probably won’t be happy to know you skipped school for no apparent reason. He’ll also make it so you can’t use your AI to pretend to be your aunt and sign you out_ _.”_

“I have a reason for it okay? It’s just… I don’t even know but there _is_ a reason okay? Can you not interrogate me right now?”

“ _I would never.”_

Peter rolled his eyes at her sarcasm; leave it to Tony to actually make an AI that can back-sass.

Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t go away when he entered the penthouse and into the lounge. He expected something to click, to tell himself that he was overreacting for something that wasn’t there but nothing happened. He set his backpack down and sat on the couch; his elbows propped on his knees and his head in his hands. He tried to think of any reasonable explanation of why he’d feel like he did but nothing came to mind and it was giving him a headache.

**AVENGERS**

“Okay so you’re telling me you _really_ don’t want an arm that could shift into a knife at just a thought?”

“For the last time, _no_.”

“Give it up Tony. Be grateful Buck’s even letting you examine it.”

“I’m plenty grateful, I just trying make it so everything is at max perfection… what if I give you a glowing finger like ET?”

Bucky gave Tony a flat stare before hopping off the table he was sitting on and walking towards the door.

“That’s a fair reaction.” Tony shrugged. “Think I can somehow give him a sense of humor?”

“He has one, you just need to learn how to be funny.” Steve smirked at him.

“You know, I’m suddenly regretting asking you both here. I feel as though there’s a certain amount of respect that isn’t being given by either of you.” Steve rolled his eyes and Bucky shook his head. “See? FRI back me up here.”

“ _I think their reactions are perfectly acceptable.”_ FRIDAY answered. Tony had a mock hurt expression on his face. _“If I also may, Mr. Parker is currently lying on the floor in the lounge.”_

Tony raised a brow. “Do I want to know why?”

“ _He appears to be distressed but I’m uncertain of the actual reason for him being here.”_

“Kid doesn’t normally cut class does he?” Bucky asked.

“He doesn’t, not without a _real_ reason.” Tony answered. “Did he give you anything to go on FRIDAY?”

“ _No sir. He appears to have used his AI to impersonate his aunt into saying he was sick but when I confronted him about it he couldn’t give me an actual reason as to why and seemed rather upset about it.”_

That didn’t bode well with any of them. Peter wasn’t the kind of person to openly show when something was bothering him. No matter what it was, be it serious or not he would always play it off as nothing or insist it wasn’t a big deal.

“Maybe he just needs a day.” Steve said. “Buck and I were like that in school.”

“If the kid just needed _a day_ then he would’ve told his aunt and just stayed home, not pretend to be sick then come here.” Tony said. “He’s in the lounge you said?”

“ _Yes sir.”_

The three of them got into the elevator and headed for the lounge. Tony had been going over their last visit in his head, trying to see if anything stood out to him in Peter’s behavior of speech that might have indicated something was wrong. He couldn’t think of anything that was remotely different or that stood out.

When they arrived at the lounge, Peter was laying facedown on he floor in the center of the room.

“Uh, you okay kid?” Bucky asked.

Peter merely gave them a thumbs up before returning to his position.

“Want to inform us of why it’s 9:37 in the morning and you’re lying on my floor instead of sitting a a desk at school?” Tony asked.

Peter rolled over so he was on his back. “I don’t know.”

“That’s not a good answer.”

He sat up. “Sorry but it’s true.”

“Pete it’s alright if you needed to take a day to recover or compose yourself.” Steve said.

“It’s not that. I just- guess I don’t feel good.”

“That’s fine kid but you didn’t need to have Karen impersonate May for you to take a sick day.” Tony said.

“No it’s not like… I don’t feel sick. I don’t know, I got up today and something just felt wrong. Like- there’s a feeling of danger or being unsafe. I thought it was my senses acting up like they do sometimes but I feel fine... but at the same time I don’t. I know I’m probably overreacting to something or forgot about a test but I just… I really don’t know.” He took a deep breath. “It’s not my sense telling me something’s wrong, I think… It’s a different feeling entirely and I really don’t know how to explain it.”

The three men stared at the boy in front of them. He had a different sort of air to him, a more nervous feeling as well. He seemed jumpy and out of if.

“You- think something bad is gonna happen,” Steve started, “but you don’t know what it is or why it’s happening?”

“I told you I don’t know how to explain it. I just-” He huffed and fell back to the floor. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t wanna say it’s okay because you really shouldn’t skip class but if you think that something bad’s gonna happen then I guess being here would be better than being at school.” Tony rubbed the back of his next. “But no more using your AI to ditch.”

“Thanks Mr. Stark, it won’t happen again.”

**AVENGERS**

Tony had expected Peter to go down to the lab at some point to maybe work on something to get his mind off of whatever was happening. What he didn’t expect was Peter not really moving from his spot on the floor all day.

When the initial first meeting was over, the three men ventured back into the lab so Tony could continue going through the information he had on Bucky’s arm. When said man had gone back to the penthouse for food, Peter hadn’t so much as moved an inch. He almost thought Peter had fallen asleep but was proven wrong when Peter asked what time it was.

“Uh it’s only 11:30. I was gonna make something if you want.”

“No thanks Mr. Barnes. I’m okay for now.”

Bucky raised a brow. “Don’t you need to eat like every hour because of your powers? You haven’t moved since you first got here.”

“I’m fine. I had something before I left this morning.” His reply was muffled.

Bucky shook his head and threw Peter an apple, which he caught with ease. “I want that gone by the time someone else comes up here.”

**AVENGERS**

Peter had lay on the floor until Bucky was gone and a little while after until he finally sat up and slowly began eating the apple. He hated the feeling that was lingering over him. It was like watching a scary movie; knowing there would be a cheap jump scare but it never happening. It was stuck on the buildup; the character was going to pull the curtain open to reveal the killer but everything was paused and he was stuck with the anticipation. The anxiety of it all was horrendous.

He moved to the island, sitting at a stool that was there and dumping the contents of his bag on it. Maybe he had forgotten to do an important piece of work and his subconscious was trying to tell him about it.

He meticulously went through it looking at every paper that had been tucked away in various folders or folded up at the bottom of the bag. He managed to find two missing assignments that had been due a few weeks earlier but nothing that was huge that would be a determining factor in his overall grade. That was the only thing he could think of that would make him feel like that and since it proved fruitless, he was stumped.

Maybe he was wrong and it was actually his spidey sense. He’d never felt like that before he was Spider-Man but it was just so- weird. Normally it was a quick thing, _Watch out!_ or _Dodge!_ but since he woke up it had the feeling of _Its coming, you better watch out_ and it was driving his crazy; a dull nagging in the back of his head. He was surprised he wasn’t jumping at every sound he heard. It was going past one in the afternoon and he really didn’t know what to do. The only time he did actually jump at something was when his phone buzzed.

‘ _Duuuude, way to leave me hanging today.’_

Peter’s face held an apologetic smile as he read Ned’s text. ‘Sorry, taking a sick day.’

‘ _Sick day or_ sick _day?’_

‘Little bit of both right now. What did I miss?’

‘ _We had a sub in history. He was pretty cool, spent a lot of the class talking about Captain America and the war before getting on the whole hero topic for the most of the class. I don’t think we actually talked about nonhero history today. It was awesome. Other than that everything’s pretty much been the same.’_

‘Mr. Morris is out sick? He never gets sick; he’s practically a walking vitamin.’

‘ _Yeah everyone was surprised. The sub said he caught something real bad and was in the hospital for it. I think he said he was gonna be there for a week or something.’_

Something just didn’t sit right with Peter. Mr. Morris _never_ got sick. His other teachers said it was a running joke with the faculty that he was a robot and incapable of having germs. Peter himself even thought at one point that he might have been enhanced in some way, giving him a perfect immune system or something.

‘ _Think you’ll be back tomorrow? I don’t think I can stand two days alone anymore, even with the cool sub. I bet you two would get along real well.’_

‘Honestly I don’t know. It’ll depend on how I feel at the end of the day. I’ll keep you posted though.’

‘ _Don’t leave me hanging too long.’_

Peter wanted to go to school, honestly he did. He didn’t like being behind in his classes and he hated not having a legitimate excuse for not being able to attend. All he had to go on was maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t his spidey sense telling something bad as gonna happen.

He sighed heavily. It was only one hour after noon and he didn’t have any explanation for what he’d been feeling and nothing could really distract him from the constant mental buzzing he was hearing.

“FRIDAY, what are the others doing right now?” Maybe they could provide enough of a distraction.

“ _Mr. Stark, Captain Rodgers, and Sargent Barnes are all currently looking over plans concerning the Sargent’s nonbiological arm, attempting to make it more durable. I’m sure you’ll be more than welcome to help them with it if you were to venture to the lab.”_

While that did sound appealing, he didn’t think he could focus on anything at the moment.

“Maybe later… I think I’m gonna go out for a little while. Thanks for the info though.”

“ _Might I know where you’ll be heading so I may inform Mr. Stark if he asks?”_

“Just, uh, I think I’m just gonna go sit on top of the building for a while and try to clear my head.”

Peter took his things and went to his room, changing into his suit before heading back out and going on to the Ironman landing pad and crawling up the building. Hopefully the fresh air and view would be able to help in some way.

**AVENGERS**

It was another hour before the three men ventured out of the lab. Tony had more or less sort of given up on Bucky’s arm, more so said man didn’t want it as super advanced as Tony was willing to make it. They were all a bit surprised to see the room vacant.

“FRI where’s the kid?” Tony asked.

“ _Mr. Parker is currently sitting at the top of the tower and has been there for sixty-three minutes.”_ The AI answered.

“And he’s up there because…?”

“ _I’m uncertain. He only said he was going to venture to the top in an attempt to clear his head. He’s hardly moved from his original position in the time he’s been up there.”_

That didn’t sit well with anyone. Peter was a ball of energy and a chatterbox; sitting in one place for an extended period of time and being practically silent didn’t bode well. There had been other times when his mood was the same and it always ended a week later with him usually injured in one way or another and no one wanted a repeat of that.

“You didn’t find _anything_ wrong with him when I asked you to do a scan earlier?”

“ _Not anything immediately troubling- saying he was in any sort of pain or any injuries. His heart rate was up but that is because of his current anxious state.”_

Steve turned to Tony. “You haven’t noticed anything off about him in the last few days? No- abnormal patrols or exterior problems with anything?”

Tony shook his head. “Nope, everything’s been normal. The city’s been quiet the last few weeks so I would get if he’s getting a bit bored or stir crazy, but he’s been his annoying chatterbox self whenever he’s been here.”

“There’s nothing important coming up that maybe he forgot about?” Bucky chimed in. “A friend’s birthday or something?”

“The only thing that comes to mind in this sort of situation would be his Uncle Ben… but the anniversary passed a few months ago so I don’t think that would factor into this…” He trailed off. “He said he felt like there was a feeling of danger, maybe there’s another alien attack in the making and he can feel that.”

“Don’t. You’re gonna end up jinxing us.” Steve said.

“What about the thing with your plane?” Bucky asked. “Isn’t the anniversary of that coming up? Maybe it’s got something to do with that.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. Bucky was right, but that never seemed to bug Peter before if it was indeed the cause. If anything he would always seem to sort of brag about it before getting super critical about himself and what he could’ve done better.

“FRI I want you to look through the files of people we’ve had to deal with and see if any of them pop up in any form of news or media, specifically Adrian Toomes.”


	2. Chapter 2

Peter sat at the very top of the tower, over looking a vast majority of New York. The view was always amazing from up there. He didn’t know how long he sat but it gave him a sort of sense of peace, dulling the nag in the back of his head ever so slightly.

The breeze felt nice on his unmasked face but the feeling made him want to hide. It felt like someone was watching him and would only be a matter of time before he was jumping at every little noise and shadow. It felt like it was slowly and steadily getting closer, louder- like someone was going to grab him and it was terrifying.

He sighed heavily and pulled his mask on.

“ _Hello Peter. It’s nice to see you.”_

“You too Karen.” Though he was genuinely happy to hear her voice, his tone was lack luster.

“ _What’s wrong Peter? Usually you’re raring to go out and patrol; kick butt and help old ladies. What are you doing sitting on top of the tower?”_

“I dunno Karen. Something just feels wrong.”

“ _Did you eat your Aunt’s leftovers again?”_

Peter snorted. “No, it’s not that kinda wrong… it’s like- you know how that one Christmas song starts with _You better watch out_? It’s like that and it’s repeating over and over like something or someone’s gonna get me.”

“ _You’ve talked to Tony about it?”_

“Yeah; Cap and Mr. Barnes too. It’s not really something anyone can do anything about. I don’t even know how to explain it well enough for anyone to actually understand what it really feels like.”

“ _Sounds like you’re experiencing extreme anxiety. If you told them that I’m sure they’d understand. They’ve all experienced it in one way or another.”_

Peter shook his head. “It’s more than that though. It’s not just the feeling of something could happen or today’s gonna be a bad day just because. It’s just- _somethings_ gonna happen.”

“ _I wish I could give you a more solid answer about what to do about this. The only thing I can think of is trying to find a way to calm or distract yourself.”_

Peter smiled slightly. If only it were that easy. He thought going to the tower would be calming and distracting but in all honesty it might have made the situation worse. It was like it was closer.

“I don’t know what to do, but I think I can distract myself for a minute or two.” He stood up and went to the far end of the roof. “My parachute is still good right?”

“ _Yes, why do you ask?”_

“Just in case I need it.” Peter started running, leaping over the guard rail with ease before launching himself off the top of the building into a free fall.

**AVENGERS**

“You didn’t find anything? No- ticks in the news or files from the prison?”

“ _No sir. There’s no mention of Toomes anywhere besides the one article giving the date of the crash. Toomes is still locked away serving his time.”_

“Well there goes that assumption.” Steve said lackluster-less.

“What if we’re just over thinking everything?” Bucky gave a half hearted shrug. “What if the kid really just needs a day to relax but he’s attributing any and all stress to some sort of danger?”

“What if he’s developing a new power?”

Tony shook his head at their assumptions. He knew Peter better than anyone there. He didn’t just _need a day_ because of stress, not since Tony taking into account how much sleep he gets on a regular basis on account of him passing out in the lab because of lack of sleep and tests at school. No, Tony knew when Peter needed days due to stress. He wasn’t developing a new power either because if he was, he would called or texted Tony that morning absolutely bounding with energy of excitement or worry, but still would’ve gone to school- ultimately giving Tony updates on the supposed new power throughout the day.

It was neither of those things, nor did it appear to have anything to do with Toomes. So they were stuck at an impasse with no real information to go on.

“Run it again FRI. Scan for any names of old adversaries from- whenever.” Tony huffed. Everything having to do with Peter lately was getting more frustrating. “I swear the kid’s got a switch that he turns on and off to make it so others can understand him.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Steve said. “As long as no one major has escaped or been freed then we probably have nothing to worry about.”

“So you’ve heard already?” That was a new voice of one James Rhodes. No one had noticed him enter the room.

“Heard what?”

“About one of Hammer’s top lackeys getting set free a couple of years early on good behavior? Isn’t that what you were talking about?” He waved around a file in his hand.

“If only it were that simple. Whatcha got on this guy?” Tony took the file from his hand.

“David Asburrow, thirty-three. He was released two weeks ago on account of his good behavior. He was one of the top engineers and kiss ass for Hammer before everything went down. He came back here to see his wife and daughter but apparently they moved state and she filed for divorce. Not the best news to get fresh out of the slammer.” Rhodes informed them as Tony flipped through the file. “Big man said he didn’t think Asburrow would try anything against you because it technically wasn’t your fault all the shit went down but thinks you should play it safe when going out and such.”

“This- this could be what the kid was talking about.” Bucky said with a general gesture.

“Come on Buck, that’s a stretch even for him.” Steve replied.

“What’s up with the kid?” Rhodes asked. “He okay?”

“Pete had Karen act as his aunt to get out of class today.” Tony said. “Came here saying something didn’t feel right but didn’t know what it was; said he felt like he was in danger and didn’t want to chance anything at school. He’s up on the roof trying to make sense of everything.”

“It’s that weird thing he’s got right? His- spider sense?”

“This could explain it; Peter feels like somethings gonna happen and had no idea about this.” Bucky said.

“ _We_ had no idea about this until five minutes ago.” Tony emphasized. “Besides the guy would come after me, Ironman, not him, Spider-man.”

“I’m not saying he’d go after Spider-Man. I’m saying he could go after Peter Parker because he interns for _you_.”

Something clicked in Tony’s head as Bucky’s words registered. “Ah shit.”

“Okay… so we tell him the possibility of what could happen and track this guy down and keep an eye on him.” Steve said.

“We can’t tell him; he’ll go looking for the guy for crying out loud.”

“We’re not going to keep it a secret from him when his safety could be on the line. It’ll be better if we prepare him for what could happen in the future.”

Tony huffed. “Fine but if he goes looking then it’s your fault. FRI tell the kid to come down so we can talk.”

“ _Mr. Parker isn’t on the roof anymore.”_

Tony groaned. Nothing could be simple when it came to the kid. “Where is he?”

“ _He jumped from the top of the tower and engaged in a free fall approximately seven minutes ago and is now currently headed towards Central Park.”_

**AVENGERS**

It was a nice feeling; swinging from building to building through the city. There was also the familiar feeling, the _actual_ spidey sense feeling as he jumped from the tower and free-fell most of the way down the building before his sense told him _You’re gonna become a splat spider if you don’t stop yourself._ It was different from the nagging that he was feeling and it was really odd to feel both at the same time.

Peter had hoped the actual sense would cancel out the nagging but somehow it seemed to amplify it and it now felt like elevator music; out of the way but just there enough to notice and get annoyed about.

“ _Would you like me to listen to the police scanner to find possible crimes in the area Peter?”_ Karen asked.

“No thanks Karen. I don’t really think I can focus on crime stopping right now.” Peter answered as he swung to another building.

“ _Where are we going?”_

“Just- to the park for a little while to see if that’ll help me clear my head.”

“ _Might I tell you that your brain waves and heart rate have picked up slightly since leaving the tower? Maybe we should go back just to be safe.”_

“My brainwaves and heart rate have picked up because I’m currently flying through the air and not sitting still. Come on Karen, you should know that.” He snorted.

“ _I mean more than usual. Don’t try to get smart with me.”_

Peter smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t going to get anywhere just sitting at the tower. Being outside increased the chances of something happening and that meant the feeling to go away.

“We’ll be fine. If anything happens, you got a direct line to Mr. Stark.”

It was a little while after that that Peter got to the park, unintentionally crashing a little girl’s birthday party. He apologized profusely to the parents but told him not to worry about it. He ended up staying and entertaining the kids for a little while, showing them his webs and letting them chase around his drone. The little girl had said it was the best birthday ever. The parents had tried to offer some sort of confirmation for doing it but Peter refused any sort of payment they offered, but accepted a piece of cake before leaving.

That was a good distraction. He didn’t feel the nagging while he was with the kids and it genuinely lifted his spirits. It was nice to see people out and about just enjoying their lives and lives of others without having to worry about constant danger. Too bad it didn’t last.

It was when he got out of hearing range of the party that the nagging returned, only it had been that time around. It wasn’t quite at the _danger_ stage but more of _use extreme caution_ while driving on an icy road. He found himself sitting in a tree when he heard someone call to him.

“Spider-man!” Peter looked down to see a man calling to him. “Spider-man can you come down here?”

It didn’t sit right with him. The man calling up to him set off his spidey sense and the other feeling was all but blaring. But he went against his better judgement and hopped out of the tree to talk to the man.

“What can I do for you?”

“Um, uh- sorry this is kinda surreal; actually talking to you is just-” he fumbled around with his wallet. “I just moved here, looking for family actually. I know you probably don’t know this kid but- do you think you can help me find him?”

He pulled out a picture and Peter blanched under his mask. It was a picture of him, a closeup of his smiling face walking out of school.

“He’s my nephew, on my sister’s side. His name is Peter Parker and from what I heard was he’s interning at Stark Industries. I don’t know if you have any connection to him but… I can’t just waltz in to the building and ask to see him. I don’t think he actually knows I exist.”

“Uh… you can’t- call him or anything?” Of course he couldn’t. Peter had no idea who that man was and he was claiming to be a family member.

“If I could I wouldn’t be here asking for your help. Please- he’s the only family I have now and it would mean the world to me if I could just see him, maybe chat to him or my sister-in-law for a little bit.” His tone was sickeningly sweet and somewhat pitiful. The nagging in Peter’s head and his sense seemed to mold into one and it was dialing everything up _way_ too much.

“I’ll- I’ll see what I can do.” He gulped, trying to keep his voice steady. He was officially freaking out.

“Thank you so much. Here’s my number; if you find him, please give it to him.” The man handed him a card with a phone number on it before heading away.

Peter held the card in his now shaking hand. What had just happened was terrifying. The amount of dangerous vibes he was giving off was phenomenal and Peter gave himself a pat on the back for keeping it together.

“ _Peter your brain waves and breathing patterns are becoming erratic. I suggest we head back to the tower to discuss what just happened with everyone.”_ Karen’s voice was somewhat soothing after the whole thing.

“Yeah… quickest route back…”

Peter swung up to a tree and through the park to the rooftops following Karen’s directions. His heart felt like it would stop if he did. His webs carried him through the city faster than he’d ever gone before and didn’t stop until he reaches the tower, almost crashing through a window if it hadn’t been opened for him. He did however crash into and topple over a couch, startling the four men in the room.

“You okay there Peter?” Steve asked as he and Rhodes righted the couch.

“Define okay.”Peter’s muffled voice answered.

“That’s never a good answer.” Bucky mumbled.

“ _Mr. Parker’s heart rate and brain waves are sporadic. His AI has informed me he had a rather- disturbing encounter which would account for it and the possibility of his strange behavior all day.”_ FRIDAY said.

“So do you wanna explain what that’s about Underoos or do you want us to have to look through the footage of your suit?” Tony raised an eyebrow.

Peter took his mask off and ran a hand through his hair. “You- know how I’ve had this weird feeling all day? I guess it was like I was being watched or at least someone was trying to watch me but they couldn’t… I went up to the roof just to see if the fresh air would help at all but there was no change. I figured I’d go out for a change of scenery and wound up going to the park for some sort of distraction and ended up entertaining some kids at a birthday for a little while.

“After that I was sitting up in a tree trying to make sense of everything when a guy called up to me asking for help about something. My senses were practically yelling at me that the guy was dangerous but- not to me, not Spider-man. He asked me to find Peter Parker because…” Peter took a deep breath. “He’s looking for me because he said he was my uncle on my mom’s side.”

The room tensed at that. They all knew what happened to Ben and knew the whole family topic was still kind of sensitive for him, especially uncles.

“Did he say anything else?” Rhodes asked.

“He said he knew I was interning at SI but didn’t have any way to contact me and couldn’t just walk in the building claiming to know me. He did give me a card with his name and number on it.” He fished the card out of his suit and handed it to Tony.

“ _Charles Fitzpatrick, accountant.”_ Tony read. “Fitzpatrick was your mother’s maiden name wasn’t it?” Peter nodded. “But you’ve said before that your mother was an only child and May is the only family you have.”

“She was and May is.” Peter held his head and dropped it in between his knees.

Tony frowned. “FRIDAY talk to Karen and pull of the video from his mask from earlier. Let’s see who this guy is.”

“ _Right away.”_

It was a minute before anything happened but FRIDAY pulled up the recording from Peter’s mask on the TV. They watch the whole interaction from him calling to Peter up in the tree to him giving him the card before walking away. The frowns on their faces were deep.

“Son of a bitch.” Rhodes sighed. “ _Good behavior_ huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I see you've made it to chapter two. If you're enjoying, toss me a comment or kudo


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit late, it's my sister's birthday so I've been doing other things all day

Peter sat through English with a nervous tick, he sat through math with his leg bouncing continually; chemistry with a slight shake in his hands. Ned had told him he looked pale during art and he physically wanted to vomit as he walked down the hall to their history class. May had asked him if he felt all right that morning because he didn’t look too good when he met her downstairs but he merely said he didn’t get that much sleep and was tired.

It wasn’t a lie, not really. He didn’t spend that much time out on patrol and had gotten in earlier than usual, but his senses were driving him crazy. At any moment when he had a second to think, a moment of quiet to maybe drift to sleep it was like an alarm went off in his head telling him someone was going to grab him. He got maybe three hours of sleep that night. After learning who _Charles_ actually was, Peter’s stomach had been in knots.

“ _I- I don’t think I understand what’s happening Mr. Stark.” Peter shook his head while pacing back and forth in the room._

“ _Come on kid. I know you’re kinda freaking out about this but we got it under control.” Tony said, trying to calm the boy’s nerves._

“ _No, no he_ knows _about me. He knows my mom’s maiden name, he knows about May. What if he knows our address or where she works or where I go to school? What am I supposed to do to protect us?”_

“ _That’s why were here kid.” Rhodes clapped him on the shoulder, momentarily stopping his pacing. “We’ll keep you and your aunt safe while we figure this creep out.”_

“ _I don’t doubt that but, just- how does he know me? How does he know about me and May? No one knows that except for you guys and Ned, maybe MJ.” Peter stared at the door. “I- I need to get to May. If he knows about her-”_

“ _Pete.” Steve started. “We won’t let anything happen to you or your aunt. You know that right?” Peter nodded. He placed his hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find this guy, and make sure he goes away for good.”_

Given knowing that Rhodes had offered to stay close to the hospital where May worked had put Peter’s mind at ease if only a little bit. At least she would be safe. But the knots in his stomach had been getting worse all day, as if his subconscious was trying to tell him something; his senses warning him that _something_ was going to happen before the day was over and it was horrible.

“Dude you sure you’re not gonna hurl?” Ned asked as they took their seats. “When you told me you took a sick day I thought it was for _other_ reasons.”

“It was.” Peter groaned. “I spent so much time worrying about it that I tricked myself into actually feeling sick.”

“Do you wanna go to the nurse? Mr. Fitzpatrick won’t care and you’ll get credit for being here today.”

“ _Who_?”

“Mr. Fitzpatrick. He’s our sub until Mr. Morris is back.”

A pit in Peter’s stomach seemed to open. It was just a coincidence, that was all. There was no way it was the same Fitzpatrick from yesterday. He refused to believe it. Though the doubt that had built up in those seconds turned into shock and awe as the so-called teacher came into the room.

“All right everyone settle. I’ve been told that I actually have to do some _teaching_ today instead of just recalling exciting stories like yesterday. So let’s waste no time and get through all that, _then_ we can talk about exciting stories. Everyone take out your books and listen for your names as I take roll.”

Most of the class let out little bouts of laughter but Peter blanched as he laid eyes on the man in the front of the room. It was the same man that had sought him out in the park and the same man that had shown up in Rhodes’ watch list.

“Dude, you _seriously_ look like you’re gonna hurl right now.” Ned whispered. “Maybe you did actually get something while you were out.”

If he thought about it he probably would have. Peter couldn’t believe, Fitzpatrick- Asburrow, whatever his name, just how normal he sounded and acted. He helped Hammer kill people. There was absolutely no real explanation on how or why he actually got a job as a teacher at a high school.

“Parker. Peter Parker?”

Peter heard his name being called but couldn’t bring himself to respond to it.

“He’s right here sir.” Ned said. “I think he’s still feeling real sick. He’s been out of it all day and I think he’s at his limit of pretending to feel good.”

“Ah, well… why don’t you take him to the nurse Mr. Leeds? Maybe contact his aunt to come get him.”

Ned nodded and coaxed Peter from his desk, slinging his bag over his shoulder and helping him from the room. Peter himself was barely taking steps and almost tripped over his own feet when they entered the hall.

“Come on Pete. I know I’m bigger than you but you have some sort of super weight and I can’t really support you unless you try to help. What’s wrong? Really?” Ned asked with concern.

“Things... happened.” Peter mumbled.

“Things that can’t be solved by the nurse?”

Peter merely nodded and took out his phone, going to Tony’s contact and texting him.

‘School.’ The response was almost instant.

‘ _Be there in ten. Hang tight.’_

“How does he respond so fast? My mom takes like ten minutes just to send me back a one word response.”

Peter laughed slightly. “You can go back if you want. I’ll be okay until he gets here.”

“You literally look like you’re going to fall over if I don’t hold you up. Besides, just because we have a cool sub doesn’t mean I want to sit in class and listen to him teach.” Ned smiled. “I’ll sit with you until he gets here.”

“Thanks.” Peter ran his hand through his hair, almost expecting to pull a handful out with how stressed he was feeling.

Ned sat with Peter in the hall until his phone buzzed, alerting the two of them that Happy was waiting outside and the school had been taken care of. Ned took a lot of his weight to prevent him from falling as they walked out front.

“Jesus kid, you look like hell.” Happy said as he took Peter’s bag and put it in the back.

“I’m certain he’s seen better days.” Ned said as he helped Peter into the back of the car. “I’ll get your work from class don’t worry about it.”

“You’re awesome Ned.” Peter groaned.

“Thanks for keeping him upright kid.” Happy said as he closed the door. “Boss said he wasn’t feeling well but I didn’t think it was the bad.”

“It’s no trouble. I just hope he feels better.”

**AVENGERS**

The ride to the tower seemed like it was over in seconds; a dull blur of a memory that already seemed to be forgotten. Peter barely recognized Happy’s voice telling him they were there. He took Peter to the elevator attached to the garage and went straight to the penthouse. The ride up also seemed to be a distant memory.

“Thanks Happy. I got him.” Tony’s voice echoed around the room.

Peter was guided from the door and to a couch and sat. He felt nauseous and probably would have thrown up if he thought about it.

“Mr. Stark?” Even his voice sounded wrenched.

“Yeah kiddo? Whatcha need?”

“Can you, uh- can you search for a Kevin Morris in your system? I think he’s in the hospital.”

“That’s one of your teachers isn’t it? Think you might have actually gotten yourself sick with something he maybe gave you?”

Peter’s leg started bouncing. “No, I mean yeah he’s my history teacher but I don’t think he’s sick.”

“Search him up FRI.” Tony told the AI. “What’s the deal with him then if he’s not sick?”

“The guy from yesterday, the one I met in the park as Spider-Man is my substitute for history.”

Tony’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment before his face settled in a frown. “Asburrow is your sub? How the hell- does your school not do background checks for their teachers?” He shook his head. “You saw him; sitting in the class and everything?”

Peter nodded. “I sat in class for about ten minutes before Ned took me outside to see the nurse because I looked so sick. The way he called my name for attendance was the exact same as when he said it in the park. It was like he knew me but at the same time it’s like he didn’t.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“No, he just told Ned to take me to the nurse and-” He stood in a panic. “Where’s Mr. Rhodes? Is he at the hospital?”

“Yes, just like we agreed.” Tony stated calmly. “He’s going to keep watch over your aunt until we figure out what to do about this whole thing… why?”

He sat down again. “He said- to call my aunt and tell her I was sick. He _knows_ about May.”

Tony was pissed. Literally how _dare_ someone go after Peter to get back at him, and a _lackey_ at that. Was there any proof of said attack yet? No, but was Tony going to wait around until there was? Absolutely fucking not. He wasn’t going to leave anything to chance and would do everything in his power to make sure Peter and May were safe.

“ _Kevin Morris,”_ FRIDAY rang out. _“47 year old high school history teacher at Midtown High. He is married with two children attending elementary school. He was recently emitted to the hospital four days ago for acute mercury poisoning. The cause of it is unknown but he’s expected to make a full recovery within a few weeks.”_

“Do they know where it’s from? How he got it?” Tony asked.

“ _No. A relatively common cause of it would be if he ate a lot of sea food but it appears he didn’t have any in his system. They’re still trying to piece together how it happened.”_

Tony sighed and turned back to Peter. “Did he say anything else to you? Maybe indicate he knew you or something to go along with the story he gave your alter ego?”

Peter shook his head. “I was only in class for ten minutes before I left. Even if he did want to somehow formulate a story for me, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to… Mr. Stark, I don’t know if I can sit in the same room with that guy. Just thinking about it is making me sick.”

“I know. I don’t want you to be in the same room with him either.”

“Kid doesn’t have a choice in the matter does he?” Bucky asked as he entered the room. “We can’t make a move until he does and he won’t move unless the kid’s there. Otherwise he might think something is up.”

“I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at once.” Tony pointed out. “We’re not using him as bait. Asburrow’s a lunatic and we have zero knowledge of what he’d do if we actually let him.”

“What do you plan on doing then? Waltz into the school and arrest him? You don’t have any jurisdiction for that, and he’s obviously good with technology. He probably altered his files or something so he would actually be able to get a job at that school.”

“I’ve got a team of lawyers that are ready to go and in case you forgot, I’ve created some if not _the_ most advanced AI in the world that are capable of just about anything. So if he _did_ mess with his files then we can get them back at their original, unaltered states.”

Peter’s head hurt. Listening to the two older men bicker about what he should do didn’t help the situation. He didn’t want to sit in class and act like nothing happened and be potential bait, but he also didn’t want to do nothing. He was scared for May. What would he tell her if it got out of hand and she needed to go to the tower for protection? He knew Pepper would ask them over for dinner as an excuse if it came to it but what about after?

“I’m gonna go lay down for a little while…” he mumbled as the two men were still bickering. He didn’t see either of their faces as he left but distinctly heard Tony sigh and mutter something along the lines of _we’ll think of something._

He headed to the room he had and flopped on the bed, a smell sense of vertigo accompanying him. An odd sense of relaxation overtook him and within moments, he was asleep.

**AVENGERS**

It was going on seven when Peter woke, a bit surprised to see he actually got a few hours of sleep rather than going in and out of consciousness. He didn’t feel good but he definitely felt better than he had in the last few days. His senses had finally calmed down and the only thing he had to deal with was the anxiety of the whole thing.

He went through the situation in his head as he attempted to get himself up. He woke up Monday not feeling well and skipped, spending the whole of the day at the tower when Ned texted him about the sub. Mr. Morris was there on Friday so that meant something happened on the weekend. After that he went out for a while and found the source of his worries who turned out to be an ex-con trying to pass as a family member. He had a small breakdown at the tower before Tony escorted him home.

The next day turned out just as bad as the first; Peter had worried himself into a panic and barely got any sleep, getting up every hour or so just to see if May was alright. He knew he didn’t look good when it was actually time to get up but having May and Ned point it out to him made him realize how bad it really was. Going to school only seemed like a mistake when he got there but somehow it was both extremely and not worth it to see the sub was the same man he met in the park.

That’s what brought him to where he was at. It was currently Tuesday, only the second day of whatever was happening and they had managed such information. All they needed to do was figure a way to out the guy and put him back behind bars before he hurt anyone, and that’s where they were stuck. The only option they could think of was to wait and everyone hated that plan.

Until Peter remembered a key piece of information he had; the business card that Spider-man had _given_ him.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the number, almost hoping it was fake and no one would pick up but was met with a voice he recognized on the other end.

“ _Hello?”_

“Hi, uh is this Charles Fitzpatrick?”

“ _Yes this is he.”_

“My name is Peter and, this is probably gonna sound weird but- I met Spider-man, I mean he sorta found me and he gave me a card with your name and number on it? He said you found him on the park and needed help finding me?”

“ _My god, he actually found you? This is amazing! Ah, there’s actually this matter I’d like to speak to you about face to face if that’s alright.”_ He was silent as he waited for a response. _“Not- not in secret or anything. It could be at a park or library. I know this is probably really weird and creepy but there’s a very important matter that needs to be addressed.”_

“Uh, with all due respect sir but what business does an accountant have with a high school student?”

He regretted it. He regretted calling the guy and trying to get any information that could help. The tone he was using sounded genuine and it was sickening to know how far he was willing to go. Peter could only imagine what would’ve happened if he didn’t meet him as Spider-man first. Perhaps he would have believed him.

“ _Peter please. I really don’t want to explain it over the phone. Just- you’ve got to trust me on this.”_ That was something that wasn’t going to happen. _“We can meet in the park tomorrow. I know you probably have school so if it’s possible, after four? It’ll take no longer than fifteen minutes.”_

He wanted to deny it and just go bust him in that moment. “Can I bring someone along…?”

“ _Of course!”_

“Okay. I’ll- be by the statue in the park after school.”

“ _That’s wonderful! Thank you so much”_

Whatever else he said was lost on Peter’s ears as he clicked the phone shut. He laid back on his bed and shoved a pillow over his face.

“FRI what did I just do?” His muffled voice asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading, I hope you've been enjoying. If you have been, toss me a comment or kudos!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Please note I've never been to New York and I have no idea how the subway works so just bear with me and pretend I know what I'm talking about

The plan was a simple one; Peter would go to school and try his best to make it through the day, more so seeing if Asburrow gave him special attention in class and then he’d venture to the park and wait for him to show up.

Tony didn’t like it.

When Peter had woken up and come down stairs, Tony hadn’t expected him to say he had set up a meeting with Asburrow after school. As a matter of fact he was expecting him to stay as far away from school as possible until they figured everything out. But Peter did have a sort of predictability when it came to situations such as that and Tony knew he should’ve known something like that was going to happen.

The question now was who was going to accompany him to the park. Rhodes and Steve had been keeping an eye on May and watching out for suspicious persons around the hospital and house, Tony himself couldn’t very well go because of the general attention he would attract and Asburrow would recognize him. The only logical choice was Bucky.

That was why Tony didn’t like it. He trusted the soldier to keep the kid safe if anything went wrong, but he wanted to be there to confront the man. It was Tony he was after in the first place and dragging Peter into it to get back at him was despicable. He didn’t want anyone else to be dragged into it if he could help it. But it was too late to change anything; Peter and Bucky were already at the park waiting and Tony wished he would’ve send a drone to record the whole encounter instead of having to just listen to it.

**AVENGERS**

“Thanks for coming Mr. Barnes.” Peter said as they entered the park. “I woulda asked Ned but I don’t think his poor excuse for kung fu would be much help in this situation.”

“It’s no trouble kid.” Bucky replied. “You said nothing happened at school?”

“Yeah. He just acted like a normal sub would. I mean- he’s supposed to be a history sub so we talked about a lot of things that happened on the last few years but he related almost everything to Mr. Stark like he had an obsession.”

Bucky nodded. “We’ll stick to the plan then. I’ll just be over there.” He gestured to a bench. “I’ll hear everything you say.”

Peter nodded and the two of them split off from each other; Bucky going to the allotted bench and Peter to lean on a nearby lamppost. There was an odd sense of calm as he waited even though he figured nothing would turn out as simple as he would hope.

He was listening to low music and checking things on his phone, looking up every so often at people walking by. He stopped himself from looking at Bucky as to make it seem he didn’t know the man, but if Asburrow was as they all thought then he was probably already there watching from a distance.

It was a few minutes before someone approached him.

“Peter?”

He tried to act surprised as his sub walked up to him. “Hey Mr. Fitzpatrick. What’re you doing here?”

“I’m meeting someone here actually. What about you? Not skipping out on homework I hope.”

“No, of course not. I’m actually waiting for someone too. He said he was family but I’ve never met him before so I’m kinda nervous about the whole thing.”

“Well isn’t that a coincidence? I’m also meeting family. It’s been just about fourteen years since I’ve seen him so I doubt he’ll actually recognize me.” There was silence for a moment. “Do you recognize me?”

Peter furrowed his brows in mock confusion. “Am I- are we supposed to be meeting each other Mr. Fitzpatrick?”

He laughed. “Yes Peter. We talked on the phone yesterday evening. You couldn’t believe how shocked I was to see I was substituting for your class. Where’s Ned? I expected you to bring him to keep an eye on me to make sure I’m not some sort of creep.”

“Ned- uh, couldn’t make it. He has a project he needs to finish so it’s just me.” He paused for a moment. “You’re serious? You’re not just making this all up right?”

“Of course not! I mean after I learned of Ben’s death, I figured I’d try to reconnect with the family and help out as much as I could. I know it’s been a few years since then but I couldn’t just drop what I had going on and leave to come find you, no matter how much I wanted to.”

Peter felt sick. How much did that guy know about him? Ben’s death made it in the paper, sure, but it’s not like general knowledge for anyone.

“I know I said it wouldn’t take long, but do you wanna go get something to eat maybe? I’m sure you know all the best places in town.”

“Why are you really here Mr. Fitzpatrick?” Peter asked with a sigh. He was tired of pretending. He couldn’t help it. He wasn’t going to make it seem like they were family.

“I’m- sorry? I don’t understand. I’m just trying to connect with my nephew.” He answered with a confused grin.

“The business card I got from Spider-man said you’re an accountant, yet you appear to be my history substitute. The two are difficult jobs and I sincerely doubt you’d be able to do both at once… my mom didn’t have any siblings; May would’ve know about them and told me. She’s the only blood relative I have left.”

“Peter I know this is all really far-fetched but really-”

“I’ve seen- the death of three family members in my lifetime. Please don’t give me false hope and happiness. Why are you here, Mr. Asburrow?”

All the sounds of the park- the kids playing, birds chirping, distant music, car engines from the street, the silent buzz from his earpiece- they all seemed to go quiet. Peter stared at the man in front of him with tired eyes.

Asburrow’s shouldered sagged slightly and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You’re a smart kid Peter. Why don’t you tell me why I’m actually here? Since I seem to know so much about you, tell me what you know about me.”

“You got out of prison a few weeks ago on good behavior, whether that’s true or not I don’t actually know. You came to New York in search of your wife and child but found out that they moved states; I guess being Hammer’s lackey had some- setbacks, otherwise your wife wouldn’t have divorced you.” Peter’s eyes didn’t break contact. “We don’t know what you were going to do after that.”

Asburrow bit his lip and turned to watch a couple walking their dog. “That pretty much sums it up. Here’s the deal,” he turned back to Peter. “You’re going to come with me; leave your phone and watch here so you can’t be tracked.”

Peter frowned. “Why would you assume I’d go with you?”

“I’d like to think you’d like to keep your aunt safe.” He shrugged. “But I’m also not stupid to assume she’s being watched over right now and it would practically be a death trap for me if I attempted anything that involves her. But, I bet I can call Ned and have him here in an instant if I say you’re in some sort of trouble. He _is_ your best friend after all.”

That was something he hadn’t anticipated. Ned would almost definitely drop whatever he was doing and help Peter if requested, especially if it was by a person of authority, even if it was fake. Peter didn’t even know how Asburrow pieced it together that they were best friends. The short time he spent in class wouldn’t have indicated that; maybe that they hung out a bit at least but not _best_ friends.

“You think he’s home, working on his project? Maybe I should call his parents and have them all come down to see us. That’ll give me three more people to work with. Can you see it; even if my plan fails, do you really think his parents would allow him to stay friends with someone who gets him in such dangerous situations?”

That hurt. Even if he knew Ned’s parents wouldn’t do it, just thinking about it was horrible.

Peter let out an aggravated sigh. He took his phone out of his pocket and turned it off before taking his watch off as well. He walked over to a trashcan and dropped them in.

“Where are we going?” He asked in a somewhat defeated voice.

Asburrow’s tone turned chipper and he sling his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “I told you, I’ll take you out to eat. There’s a diner not too far from here that’s supposed to have the best burgers ever, but then again we’re in New York and that’s what every diner says about their food.”

He led him from the park, passing by Bucky who seemingly had no interest in them and was deeply enamored with someone on his phone, like a father talking to his child. Asburrow didn’t pay him any attention.

Bucky on the other hand had been watching the exchange from his peripheral, listening to the whole thing through his earpiece. Hearing that Ned and his family was a possible target wasn’t something they planned on and had nicked the plan a bit; even if he was bluffing, they weren’t going to risk it.

“Hey kiddo. You having a good birthday?”

“ _I called Ned as soon as he was mentioned the first time.”_ Tony answered back through the phone. _“Told him to block any and all calls from unknown numbers. I’ve got his cell and landline traced just in case. His parents’ cells were a bit tricky to go after but I’ve got those covered too.”_

“Wow, that’s awesome! Did you open all your presents? What’d you get?”

“ _I called Cap and Rhodes too; Cap’s gonna stay at the hospital to keep an eye on Aunt Hottie whole Rhodes goes to hang with Ned for a while. If you have the chance to take him then do it. We have probable cause to send him back to prison.”_

“That’s really cool buddy. We need to play with those when daddy get back from his trip. Can you put mommy on?”

Peter had half a mind to laugh as he passed Bucky; he just seemed so out of character, but that’s what made it so believable. He didn’t know what to expect though. The plan was sort of a blur after that and it was really up to him and Bucky to finish everything out.

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go?” Asburrow’s grip on Peter tightened as they walked past some people.

Peter stayed quiet. He tried to look scared for what it mattered, trying to make eye contact with everyone they passed in hopes of something happening. He could hear the quiet murmur of Bucky and Tony still talking, about how he should intercept them without putting himself or anyone around them in danger.

“Excuse me.” Peter’s head snapped to the man that had approached them. “Do either of you happen to have the time?”

“Yeah, it’s 4:37.” Asburrow answered before trying to lead Peter away.

“And- do you happen to know the quickest route to the subway? My phone died right as I was looking for directions.”

Ah, a tourist.

“Sorry, I’m not too familiar with the area, just visiting my nephew.” Asburrow smiled though Peter could tell he was thoroughly annoyed with the man.

“Uh, which line were you trying to get to?” Peter asked, locking eyes with him.

The man stared at Peter as if sending something was wrong. “I’m not too sure actually. I’m supposed to meet an old friend at some bar _downtown_ and he said to take the redline I think.”

“Well the nearest subway station is a few blocks from here but I don’t think all of them are on a main way with the redline.”

The man watched his eyes as Peter gave him directions. The way he was blinking was strange; three really quick ones, three long ones, then another three quick before waiting a few seconds and starting again.

“Okay so, from the park, left for three blocks, right for one, and then left again until I get to the burger place; if I reach a hotdog place I went too far.” He said back to them.

“Yeah, that should take you to the entrance of the station. You can see on the maps they have down there if that one is a direct to the redline, other wise you need to get a connecting one.”

“Thanks so much. My buddy would kill me if I missed our meeting. Sorry for taking up your time. Have a nice evening.” He started to walk away.

Asburrow’s cheap smile was gone in an instant. “You think you’re real clever don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Peter asked.

“Acting like you didn’t know him in an attempt to get away.”

“I have no idea who that was. He was just a guy asking for directions. Just because you have me as a hostage doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being a decent human being.”

Asburrow clung to Peter’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. “I honestly can’t believe you’re lying to me in the situation you’re in right now. You really aren’t worried about your aunt or Ned?”

“I’m telling you I didn’t know him.”

“He knows me though.” The two of them turned to see Bucky standing there. “It’s over Asburrow. Let the kid go.”

“Ah, ya see, can’t do that.” He pulled a gun out and aimed it at Peter. “Stark make me lose something important to me so I’m going to do the same to him.”

Peter stiffened. He didn’t know why they hadn’t factored in that he was most likely going to be armed. Perhaps if he kept up his act of believing he had another family member, it wouldn’t have gone that far.

“Now you’re going to leave. If my demands aren’t met then the boy dies.”

“Ah, ya see, can’t do that.” Bucky mocked. “Do you honestly think I’m going to let you walk away from here unharmed after threatening him? Do you _honestly_ think you’re going to get away with threatening someone who has ties to the _Avengers_?”

“Of course not, but then that’s the point.” Asburrow smirked and cocked the gun. “I know I’m not gonna make it out of this and that’s where he comes in. I know you like this kid because of you didn’t then you wouldn’t be here right now. You’d _hate_ to see him hurt. So if you want him back, _alive,_ then you’re going to meet my demands.”

Bucky stared at him before glancing to Peter. He looked just as anyone would expect but Bucky knew he wanted to take the guy out; pretending to be family after what he’s lost already?

“What’re your demands?” Bucky asked, glancing behind the two of them upon seeing a figure approached.

“Oh no, that’s between me and Stark.” He lowered the gun slightly. “ _You_ get to stand there and watch as we leave. If you try to follow then I shoot him.”

Bucky’s frown deepened but he made no move to stop him.

“I’ll call Stark after me and my _nephew_ have had a chance to sit and talk over a few things.” Asburrow tucked his gun away and turned to guide Peter from the park, only to be met by the same man the two of them had talked to earlier. “Oh, did you need something else?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Peter didn’t really know what happened after that. He watched as the man punched Asburrow in the nose and went down. Peter was slightly pulled away from him in an attempt to keep him safe; there was one gunshot, then another a few seconds after. When everything was calmed a bit Peter was finally able to take in the scene.

Asburrow was lying on the ground, blood leaking from his nose and shoulder, Bucky was standing over him with a gun drawn. The mystery man had been in front of Peter trying to shield him from the view and pressing extremely hard on his forearm, which he had only then realized was bleeding.

“Are you alright kid?” The man asked while looking at Peter arm. “I think the bullet just grazed ya so you should be okay as long as we get it treated properly.”

Peter blinked a few times before answering. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Uh, thank you for- um, this...”

“Hey, I’m a cop. I should hope I can recognize a kid in a bad situation and help them get out of it.” He was silent for a second. “Sorry I couldn’t help sooner. I saw you as I was walking past and you looked uncomfortable. I didn’t know what the situation was so I tried to come off as non threatening to whatever was happening. But I saw you blink SOS and when you gave me directions, it landed me to the tunnel outside the precinct, not the burger joint.”

“You _blinked_ SOS?” Bucky asked, slightly surprised. “I didn’t even know you knew Morse Code.”

Peter let out a slight laugh. “Me and Ned thought it would be cool if we could learn and send messages to each other. Guess it came in handy.”

“Yeah, really handy. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t noticed you doing it.” The man cut in. “I would’ve acted right there but I needed to call some buddies of mine. They should be getting here right about now along with an ambulance.” He turned to Bucky. “I can take over watching him until my team comes if you want to take your friend to wait for the ambulance.”

Bucky eyed Asburrow before nodding. “I’ll get the kid taken care of.”

The man removed his hand from Peter’s arm, placing Peter’s other on the wound before moving over to Asburrow. “I know you two probably want to leave but I will need statements from you before you do.”

The two of them nodded before Peter spoke. “Thank you for what you did, but, uh, who are you?”

The man smiled. “Officer Jefferson Davis; NYPD.”

“Come on, let’s get that arm checked out.” With one last nod of thanks, Bucky led Peter to the opening of the park where police cars and an ambulance had gathered. “Don’t worry, we’ll have Stark send him a fruit basket or something to officially thank him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! You made it to the end! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. And thank you to everyone for the nice comments and kudos! I hope you like it. See ya in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. If you did, toss me a comment or kudos


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